Kawagoe Bell Tower @ Kawagoe, Japan

The Bell Tower at Kawagoe is a must-visit when you are visiting Kawagoe in Japan. It is right in the center of the old town, a famous landmark in the area. Due to the high of the tower, you can easily see this afar and brings the crowd to the area. The bell is still operation and rings 4 times a day (6am,12pm, 3pm & 6pm) which is done automatically. The bell can also be rung manually on odd occasions or during festivals.

The bell is well preserved they don’t allow visitors to climb on it. The ladder has been bolted down with planks to prevent people from trying. The tower has been rebuilt several times due to damage but the main structure is still there. There is no entry fee to the bell tower and you can feel free to visit multiple times. The other thing I have noticed there are no stores that sell souvenirs inside the tower so don’t look for a store there. There are plenty of shops around the tower to buy your gifts. Not to mention the local street food. If you are in Kawagoe, this is a must visit stop.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Small Thing That Makes Me Smile ….

Hi Everyone,

After reading @catwomantersa’s post the other day about doing up her nails, I was thinking that I haven’t done anything to my nails for years. The reason why being is since having kids, I have been in the kitchen more often so I don’t want to risk of having any of my nail polish or bits and pieces in their food. If you have followed my past videos, you would of know that I have a lot of nail polish.

Last time in Japan, I bought some nail stickers so I thought I’ll start with something simple. So here I have a packet of nail stickers and top coat. After cleaning my nails, I stuck them on each nail and then put a coat of top coat on. Let’s see how long this will last. I am thinking probably 3-4 days max. What do you think?

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Let’s Colour with Travelgirl

Hi Everyone,

If you are a follower of mine, you would of know that I love colouring books. I’ve even streamed a few sessions of my colouring projects and it was great fun. So I’m pretty much done with the Secret Garden colour book by Johanna Basford so I found a smaller book this time at Daiso.

I have a Daiso near work so it’s really convenient when I need to get something quickly. They had two to choose from – One a flower theme the other fairy tail theme. Since I just finished the Secret Garden, I decided to get the fairy tail book. Let’s have a look at the pages. First, they show you the different tools you can use to make your pages look pretty. All in Japanese but you can get the point from it.

Let’s have a look at some of the pages. They look super cute!

Lastly, even the back page is a colour page. The book is made in Japan and is in a convenient size. Best of all, it’s $2.80AUD and in Japan it would be 100yen. Do you like adult colouring books?

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Travelgirl Bought New Glasses (Not 1 but 2 Pairs!)

Hi Everyone

I’ve always worn glasses if I am working on the computer or too lazy to put on my contact lenses so once in a while I like to change my glasses for a different look.

Over the years I’ve had so many pairs in different shapes and sizes they all look the same to me now. But due to my health insurance, I get a yearly allowance allowing me to get new glasses or lenses change each year. This year I decided to try out the popular Japanese express glasses brand – Owndays. They only have two stores in Sydney and I went to the Chatswood store as parking was a lot more convenient than in the city.

With my insurance plan, I was able to get two pairs as the store was having an end of the year saw so definitely can’t complain about that! Once I had my eyes checked and glasses are chosen, I was able to pick up my glasses in 1hr. Now that is what you call service unlike some of the traditional ones that took days to get it ready for you. The one I bought were super light and comfy I can see why it is so popular in Japan.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Korakuen & Surroundings @ Japan

Hi Everyone,

Today I’ll take you around Korakuen in Japan. We were actually on our way to an indoor play center and realised there was a lot to see along the way. We were staying in Ikebukuro so we took the train to Korakuen station on the Marunouchi Line and walk over so that way I didn’t have change train lines.

The area was not very pram friendly but luckily I saw a mum with her child so I asked her where the lift was. I’m so glad I asked her as the lift was very well hidden, only the locals would have known this secret lift. Once we found the lift, the first thing we saw was the dome and the roller coaster on the left ground through LaQua. We’ve driven past the roller coaster many times in the past but it was my first time I’ve been so close to it.

Here is a map of Tokyo Dome and its surroundings which was only a few minutes walk from Korakuen station.

There were some Ultraman promotion while we were there

We went on a weekday so there were virtually no one around the shops and open area. It was all nicely decorated for Christmas.

In my next blog, I will take you to one of the best play centers we have been to.

Travelgirl

Hotel Review: Hotel Wellseason Hamanako (Part 2 ) @ Hamamatsu, Japan

Hi Everyone,

Lets continue touring around Hotel Wellseason Hamanako @ Hamamatsu, Japan today. In my last blog, I have taken you to the room I’ve booked and some of the open areas of the hotel, today lets check out the inside of the resort where most people visit after they have checked into the hotel.

In the guest areas, it’s like a mini city inside with a cafe, massage therapy, various massage chairs etc. Let us have a look around! First, this is the massage therapy area. They are an additional service you can purchase if you want someone to give you a massage or hot stone therapy. Prices weren’t cheap but its an option you can take if you don’t want to go into the onsen.

There were also many rest areas with massage chairs, again has an additional charge but it was very reasonable. For massage chair use, it was 200 yen for 20 minutes. Not bad for some peace a quite and really it felt really good. I actually used the chairs quite often for the two nights we were there.

There were other machines you can be used for a fee but I didn’t get to try them

This whole area was very clean and quiet so it really felt like you were away from our busy lifestyle.

There were a number of hot springs in the resort and this was the sign to them. I cannot take any pictures inside but I have included a few from the website.

source: http://wellseason.jp/spa/#hanasakinoyu

Just outside the guest area, there is a well-stocked gift shop for guests to purchase souvenirs. We actually bought a few boxes of biscuits back home as gifts and bought some to try in our room. The prices were quite reasonable compared to what you pay outside.

Around the hotel, you can see many displays for people to take photos. They even label them as “Photo Spot”

Lastly, what I love about a Japan they set up the futons for us every night. This actually feels like a holiday!

Hotel Review Hotel: Wellseason Hamanako (Part 1 ) @ Hamamatsu, Japan

Hi Everyone

Today I’ll be taking you to really nice onsen hotel we stayed in at Hamamatsu. We were here the year before but because the service was so good, we decided to come here again this time during our visit to Japan. Hotel Wellseason Hamanako is not easily accessible by public transport so it is recommended that you drive there. As this was our second stay, I knew which type of room I want to stay in. We wanted the traditional Japanese room with a tatami floor for the kids to roll around and requested to be on the top floor as there is a very nice sea view from the window. The price we got quoted from the website is all inclusive which includes breakfast and dinner. You can opt to choose to have just breakfast but I highly recommend you choose both meal options as the buffet they have there was just worth the price!

While we were waiting in the lobby. The lobby was super warm considering it was like 2 degrees outside.

Let me show you the room first. Plenty of space for the family & a really nice view of the ocean

The snacks were replenished every day

The attendant for our room was so thoughtful, she even bought a small yukata for our little man.

We chose to come back to this hotel was because it was very child-friendly.

In the next blog, I will continue taking you around the hotel & the restaurants.

Address: 1891 Kanzanjicho, Nishi Ward, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture 431-1209, Japan

Phone: +81 53-487-1111